Page 100 of Time To Live Again

The side of her mouth quirks up. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Do I get to help?” Andy surprises us too.

“No,” Tonya responds quickly.

Andy winks at her.

What is with those two?

“Of course you can, brother,” Olive says, ignoring Tonya.

“Definitely soon,” I say, gazing into Olive’s eyes. “I can’t wait much longer.”

“Me either.”

Would it be inappropriate if I thanked Evelyn for stealing Pierce? If she didn’t, I wouldn’t have been born, and I wouldn’t have found the love of my life.

Because that is who Olive is.

The love of my life.

My best friend.

My future.

EPILOGUE

OLIVE

Six months later

I clutch the bouquet of plastic flowers in one hand and squeeze Leo’s hand with the other. My skin prickles with nervous excitement. I can’t believe we’re doing this. Nothing could stop us, though.Nothing.

Queen’s song, “Don’t Stop Me Now” plays in my head.

“Our moms are going to flip,” I say, not caring in the least. Well, maybe a little.

“Would you expect any different?” Leo responds, kissing my cheek.

“Not really.”

We’re in Vegas this weekend with our clan to celebrate Leo’s birthday. He surprised me with tickets to see Queen in concert. The others are doing their own thing tonight. When we left the concert hall, we turned to each other and at the same time said, “Let’s get married.”

We ran to the first chapel we could find, and here we are.

“Maybe we shouldn’t tell them. The wedding date’s set for New Year’s Eve and the planning’s begun. Tonya would be pissed.”

Leo proposed to me a couple of months ago. Want to know how he did it? Okay, I’ll tell you really quick because we have a wedding to attend at this cheesy but perfect chapel.

He mounted a plaque on our bench inscribed with “Olive and Leo,” but there was a blank space after our names. He got down on one knee and put a gorgeous diamond ring on my finger, just like he said he would. The blank space will be filled withForrestand our wedding date.

Oh. That’ll be interesting. Which date should we use? Never mind. Something to worry about later.

Mom and Marla have made up, and they’re good friends again. Mom and I went to therapy together to mend our relationship. So far so good. We moved to the island two months ago. It took some convincing to sell the house, but she gave in. She’s working at the Madrona Inn now and lives alone—her choice—in a small apartment in town. Even though she’s still grieving, a change in surroundings has helped. I have taken a part-time job at a general practitioner’s office. I’m also in charge of the hotel’s website and help if someone needs medical attention at the hotel. Life is good.

Leo and I, with Sully’s help and connections on the island, have been searching for a house to renovate. Currently, we live in Leo’s cottage at the hotel. It’s a tight fit, but I love it. Tonya continues to plan our dream wedding with Andy’s assistance. It’s a good thing he lives in California because they’re like oil and vinegar. Either they’re going to kill each other one day or end up saying “I do.” That would be an interesting story to add to the family history.

Once we’re married and settled, Leo wants to give dance lessons to teenagers and maybe start a YouTube channel. He gives me private lessons, but more often than not those lessons end up with us naked. He’s hard to resist when he moves his body like that. As for singing, I’m lucky because I get to hear his gorgeous voice in private. We also go to karaoke nights, and he’s been invited to sing in a local band. He hasn’t decided on that yet. Working at the hotel is his priority.

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